Sports
Ferrari confirm F1 driver change – what it means for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc
Need to know
Friday marked only the second day fo 2026 and already there has been a driver change in Formula 1, with Ferrari confirming the exit of a familiar face from their pool
Everything you need to know as Ferrari confirm they have dropped one of their drivers heading into the 2026 Formula 1 campaign.
- Guanyu’s Zhout: After just one year as reserve driver at Ferrari, Zhou Guanyu has been shown the exit door at Maranello.
- What Ferrari said: In a post on their social media channels, the team wrote: “Grateful for Zhou Guanyu’s commitment and contribution as Ferrari Reserve Driver this season! Wishing him all the best ahead.”
- What Zhou said: He wrote on his Instagram page: “Really appreciated all the trust throughout the season. See you guys around in 2026.”
- Who is Zhou?: China’s first ever Formula 1 racer, he made his debut in 2022 with Sauber having spent some time in the Ferrari and Alpine driver academies as a youngster. He did okay in his three seasons in the sport, but not enough to shake the ‘pay driver’ tag he was given because of his massive sponsorship backing from Chinese companies. Axed at the end of 2024 along with Valtteri Bottas when new team owners Audi decided to clean house and bring in their own hand-picked racers.
- Why has he gone?: No official reason has been given, but in reality Ferrari just don’t need him often enough. They proved at Imola last year, when Charles Leclerc was an illness doubt through illness, that Antonio Giovinazzi was their preferred reserve when available. He was the one who would have been given the nod to drive if Leclerc was unavailable.
- Will Ferrari replace him?: Possibly, as some F1 races clash with World Endurance Championship events and Giovinazzi races for Ferrari’s WEC project. They will still need backup for Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton on those weekends.
- Who will get the nod?: Ferrari have a couple of Formula 2 drivers on the books. Dino Beganovic is the more experienced one, having driven a couple of FP1 sessions last year, while they have high hopes for Rafael Camara who won the 2025 Formula 3 title.
- Zhou’s next move: Unclear, though his Instagram post hinted that he might look to stay in F1 if he can, with his “see you guys around” comment. Watch this space.
- The overall impact: Pretty much negligible. Zhou brought some cash through his sponsors which is always useful, but he was never going to land a race seat and, as mentioned, was not even the preferred reserve. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will race as usual in 2026.
Full story: Ferrari confirm line-up change as F1 driver axed ahead of 2026 season
Continue Reading
